The flavors of Moroccan food are one of my favorite. I love the earthy, subtle spiciness of the spice combinations. It’s just all good. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a Moroccan dish that I did not like.
However, until last week, I had never attempted to make a full Moroccan dish. I have made plenty of Moroccan inspired sides, salads and appetizers though. But I have been waiting to tackle a main dish for a while. I am so glad I finally did.
The key element of this meal is the spice blend. This one is very subtle. I’d actually prefer it a bit spicier, but sometimes it’s good to remember I’m not going for only myself. As it was, everyone loved this dish.
Moroccan Chicken & Lentils
- 1 T. paprika
- 2 t. cumin
- 2 t. coriander
- 1 t. ground ginger
- 1/2 t. turmeric
- 1/2 t. black pepper
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced thin
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 – 1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
- 1/2 lb. baby carrots or sliced carrots
- 1 1/4 c. chicken stock
- 1/2 c. dried lentils
1. In a small bowl, combine the 6 first ingredients to make the Moroccan spice blend. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir in spice blend and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frquently so that the spices do not burn.
2. Add chicken, carrots and chicken stock to the skillet. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer. Cook at least until the chicken is fully cooked, about 20-25 minutes. Longer simmering will increase the flavor.
3. 20 minutes before you plan to eat (and after the chicken is fully cooked), remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add lentils to the skillet, bring stock back to a boil, cover and simmer about 15 more minutes, until lentils are fully cooked but not mushy.
4. Shred or dice chicken and add back to the skillet. Stir to combine. Serve over rice or couscous.
For a fun variation, leave out the carrots and reduce stock to just 1/2 a cup. Serve the fully cooked mixture in pitas.
Or, to make this vegetarian, skip the chicken, up the lentil to 2 cups and use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.
This post is being linked to:
- $5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners
- Tasty Tuesday at it’s new home on my friend Jen’s blog – Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.
- Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace.
- Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s Recipes
- Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes For Mom
- Talk About Tuesday at The Lazy Organizer
And don’t forget to check out the Virtual Great American Bake Sale ebooks where you can find 170 delicious, tummy-tempting recipes and support Share Our Strength at the same time.
